3-run 5th propels Beavs to 18th straight over Pilots

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KEIZER, Ore. – The sixth-ranked Oregon State baseball team utilized a three-run fifth inning to push past Portland en route to a 4-3 win over the Pilots in front of 3,294 fans at Volcanoes Stadium Wednesday night.

The win was Oregon State’s ninth straight and sent the Beavers to a 38-8 record on the year while Portland dropped to 17-29. The Beavers have won 18 straight over the Pilots dating back to the 2007 season.

Tyler Smith tallied three hits to tie for the team lead for the Beavers, who accumulated 10 as a team. He doubled twice and extended his hit streak to nine games, tied for his longest of the season.

Jake Rodriguez added three hits as well, driving in two during the Beavers’s three-run fifth. It was his 13th multiple-hit game of the season.

Andy Peterson and Michael Conforto each had two hits in the win as well.

Oregon State and Portland found themselves tied at one through four, but the Beavers took the lead in the fifth. Danny Hayes drove in the inning’s first run on a sacrifice fly, and Rodriguez added to the lead with a two-run single.

The Pilots and Beavers traded runs early on. Portland scored first on a sac fly by Beau Fraser. OSU, however, answered back when Conforto singled home a run in the third.

Portland added solo runs in both the seventh and eighth but Scott Schultz came on in the ninth to shut the door for his ninth save of the season.

Neither starter lasted long. Dan Child threw 21 pitches in one inning of work, leaving in favor of Tony Bryant with the bases loaded in the second. His counterpart, Jackson Lockwood, worked two innings. He gave up two hits and one walk with one strikeout.

Child and Lockwood did not figure in the game’s decision.

Bryant was deemed the game’s winner after going 3 1/3 innings. He did not allow a hit, walked two and struck out four to improve to 1-0 this season.

The loss went to Portland reliever Jeremy Burright, who dropped to 2-4 this season after allowing all three Oregon State runs in the fifth.

Oregon State opens its three-game series with No. 25 Stanford Friday night at Sunken Diamond. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Live audio, video and stats can be found on osubeavers.com.